Suspenders



W.- L FUNK SUSPENDERS Fild Dec. 14, 1921 W'g/:L

ma. x l M Walzen'flh Tun/4 Patented Feb. d, i923,

traen 'WALTER L. FUNK, 0F' GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

susrnivnnns.

AppIieation filed December 14;, 1921. Serial No. 522,319.

To all whom t may concern.' l

Be it known that l, WALTER L. Ferm.

a citizen of the United States, residingat Grand Rapids, in the county of lient and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Suspenders, of

which the following is a specication.

My invention relates to improvements in gentlemens Suspenders, and more particuularly to Suspenders: in use for supporting overalls and like garments, and it has for its objects, first, to provide a` means .vherebf-,f

, a flat helical spring may bei used to produce resiliency at the ends of the Suspenders independently of the elasticity in the fabric from which'- the body of the suspender is made; second, toi provide a means whereby the use of sheet meta-l strips for connecting the button straps of Suspenders with the resilient element may be dispensed with; third to provide a means whereby the pressure at the lower end of the resilient element may be properly distributed across the bearing or supporting part of the suspender.

I attain these objects by the peculiar `distribution and operation of the several elements lshown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. l is an elevation of the.

end of a suspender with the side removed to disclose the application of my improvements. Fig. 2 is an edge elevation of the same with both' folds of the end of the suspender in place and the resilient element between the-m. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the end of a suspender, with a modified form of strap connection as it appears when properly assembled. Fig. 4.! shows the application of a modified form of button strap. Fig. 5 shows still another modified form of strap, the two latter figures being given simply to show that, different forms of straps may be 'used with my invention without departing from the fundamental object of the invention. Fig. 6 is in elevation of kthe end of a suspender unfolded to show the slot through which the button straps are` passed. Fig.` f7 is a view similar to Fig. 6

' showing two slots for use with the straps extending lip sformed into a hook to be used as hereinafter described.

Similar reference characters indicate sim` ilar parts throughout the several views.

.ln they construction of these suspenders l use ordinary, inelastic, webbing for the body l, and form slots, as `indicated at o', upon the line where the lower part, l', folds upon the body, forming ay pocket into which the resilient element,L or yspring 2, and its connected elements are mounted. For the button strapsrl 3 l use some very flexible vor'pliable material, as raw hide, or its equivalent, and se form the upper end at 4i that it may be drawn downwardly without danger of becoming disconnected from the upper end of the spring 2. The lower end, 6, of the button strap 3 is made integral with the upper, or body portion and passes downwardly through the slot d, as indicated in Figs l and 2. This leaves the upper ends of the straps 3 free to move upwardly or downwardly as strain is brought to bear upon, or is `released from 'the straps.

To make the flat coiled springs 2 available for use with very flexible straps, passing through the entire length of the spring and secured at their upper ends to the upper end of the spring, l find it necessary to provide a supporting element for the lower end of the spring, and for this purpose I use a short metal plate 5 that extends upwardly into *the lower end of the spring and is provided with laterally extending integral arms, a, so positioned that they will rest between the folds of the end of the suspender and the lower end of the spring, at each edge of the spring and at each side of the opening d in the suspender. This plate may be made'rnuch more serviceable by forming a hook Z9 upon its lower end below the line .fr-m, that may be passed through; the opening d and hook over the end of the suspender, as indicated in Fig. 2, and thus avert the danger of the plate 5 being drawn upwardly within the folds of the suspender.

In Fig. 3 lf have shown the lower end of the strap 3, at 3', folded over and secured at e to form a. loop for the reception and proper action of the modified form of button loop shown as 6. In Fig. 5 l have shown this strap at 32 arranged to support the niodied button loops 62, as at e in said figure, and in Fig. d I have shown still anl other modification of theloutton simi-ps` and loops as indioalecl at 63? demonstrating the@ my appli-Linee may be used with any form of but-ton loop without departing from the spirit 01"" my invention, or making any modiieations Whatever therein;

Having thus fully (lese'oed my inve@ tion, what l claim as new in the amt, is:

l. ln combinaizioiiwitli the folded -eildeof' e suspender lim/'ing openings there- :hioughpe 'Het coiled spiingmounted will in said fold, a broad', thim, button hele strap passe-d through .lengthwise of "the spring with its upper enclseourecl to the uppei1v end of the spring, and a. metal plate extended Mei upwardly imo the spring paia-llel with the button hole" stiep and having lateally eigencled integral arms thereon zuid positioned between 'the enel of the Spiling and alie folli ol" the suspender.

:2. ln combination Willi the elements coi'- ei'ecl in claim l, a hook formed yupon the lower enol oi' the metal plaie and passing through the opening in the end of the eue pencler and upwmdly upon the outside o J@he suspender fold. o i

Signed et@ Grand lapidenlv/lic-liigan, kDen eembei' 9th, 1921.

WALTER *Lf iiUNiQ 

